Spring Break... An Adventure-Filled 10 Days!

Hello everyone! I got back from my incredibly Spring Break adventure on Monday. Sorry for the delay in posting on here, but it was hard settling back into reality in Cape Town, and I had a lot to catch up on back here! I guess the easiest way would be to take you through the trip day-by-day... Bear with me, this is gonna be a long one! But I promise to include lots of pictures.

Day one: We flew from Cape Town to Jo-burg where we boarded an overland truck. These trucks have lots of seats, as well as lockers in the back and tons of storage below for kitchen supplies, food, tables, chairs, camping equipment, etc. Everything you need for 10 days of camping! We drove a long way to our first campsite in Palapye, Botswana. This place had awesome outdoor showers with pretty lights above them. And there was a biker gang staying there that night.... They were hilarious and partied until late in the night. We were exhausted, so we sat and watched the free entertainment that included karaoke and great dancing by these guys.

Day two: We had another long drive to our campsite in the outskirts of the Okavango Delta, called Sitatunga Camp. We were briefed on everything we'd need to know about living in the delta for the next two and a half days. While at Sitatunga, we experienced our first rain storm while camping. Luckily, it was warm out, so we did not mind the rain! We also visited a crocodile farm 500 meters from our campsite. This is where crocodiles are born and bred essentially for the sole purpose of being killed for food. I thought it was really disturbing and inhumane. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that our wake-up calls thus far were 4:30 or 5:00 am.... Enough said!

Day three: Got to sleep in...until 6:00 am. The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta and has several different islands. We boarded a smaller safari truck and drove about an hour. Then we miraculously loaded everything, including ourselves, into mokoro boats. These are made of either sausage tree wood or fiber glass. These boat rides were truly one of the highlights of the trip. We met our tour guides/polars with whom we would spend the next 2.5 days. The polars hold long sticks that they use to push off the bottom of the river to move us through the water. This takes great strength and balance, while I was busy sunbathing comfortably in the front of the boat, taking in the scenery. We were completely surrounded by reeds, about 3 feet high, that would smack you in the face as you moved past them. Lily pads and lilies were sprinkled throughout all the water- it was so beautiful! I'll show a few pictures of the mokoro rides to try to explain what I'm trying to say!

Here is the chaos as we were loading all the mokoros. There I am with my blue Phillies (WOO!) hat with my boat-buddy, Catherine! We're excited for our first-ever mokoro ride!

My feet. 

Tough to tell here, but there was a long line of SEVERAL mokoros getting all of us and our things to the campsite!

We made it to the bush campsite and set up our tents once again. I shared a tent with my good friend from Trinity, Leigh, and my new good friend/roommate, Caitlin. We got really good (and efficient!) at setting up our tents and taking them down. (I'm so proud of us!) We then went swimming in some fresh water and went on our first game walk later that evening with our awesome tour guide, Oracle. We saw lots of zebras, birds, and animal poop! I can now name several animals' poops. Not sure how useful that knowledge is, but I have it.

Day four: A full day in the bush campsite at the Okavango Delta. Didn't mention yet that the delta had no bathrooms (except a hole in the woods), no showers, no electricity, no nothing! And we were potentially living very close to all kinds of animals. The stars at night were incredible. The tour guides pointed out some of the star formations, and we could not stop staring. They were so bright and clear. (This was the middle of nowhere, so you can try to imagine how beautiful they were.) We had an early morning game walk, went back to the swimming hole (that was a hippo-free zone!), and went on a mokoro game ride that evening to watch the sunset. It was amazing seeing animals in the most natural habitat possible. There is no place quite like the delta in the entire world. Unfortunately, we didn't see any elephants or lions, but that's what happens when you're in a natural environment! There's nothing you can do about it. We did see an amurula tree. Amurula is a cream liqueur native to South Africa. We got to try some of the tree's berries- it was delicious! Later that night, we had a cultural exchange with the local tour guides. They performed several songs and dances, that I can't even try to put into words. All I can say is that they were simply awesome. We then sang a few songs in return (the National Anthem upon request, I'm Yours by Jason Mraz, etc. We sounded terrible, but they loved it!). This night was one of the most fun of the entire trip.

One of my favorite pictures of the water. So still and perfect.

Zebras in their natural habitat!

Here I am with my friend, Christina, hanging out on an elephant skull in an elephant graveyard!

Here's one of the guys' performances. So awesome!!

After our last mokoro ride with the best polar ever.

Day five: Another early wake-up call and we packed up the site and loaded everything back on the mokoros. It was sad having to leave the guys and the delta. On the other hand, it was exciting to know that we would be able to shower in the near future! We drove back to the Sitatunga campsite in Maun, took quick showers, ate a fast lunch, and drove to Planet Baobab. Baobab trees are the trees you picture when you think about Rafiki and The Lion King. There, we got to swim in a really nice pool and relax by the bar. And, of course, we showered again. It was like living in luxury after surviving the delta!

Day six: ANOTHER early wake-up as we departed for Chobe National Park in Botswana. Chobe has the largest elephant population in the world (approximate 120,000!). We arrived at our campsite near the park by about noon for lunch. In the late afternoon, we went on a sunset viewing cruise. We saw lots of hippos, some crocodiles, elephants, birds, and more.

Another cool picture of the sky pre-storm on the sunset cruise.

Hungry, hungry hippos?

Mother and baby elephant getting some dinner.

Beautiful sunset on the water.

Day seven: I opted to do another early morning wake-up so that I could go on a safari ride through Chobe National Park that began with an elephant crossing in front of us on the road! We saw buffalo, impalas, birds (including one bird called the umbrella bird that would form an umbrella shape on top of the water to get rid of the glare in order to look for some food in the water- so cool!), some mongoose, and Pumba.... I mean warthogs. While it was cool seeing all of these animals inside the park, we were all a little disappointed that we didn't see any lions or leopards. But even more so, we didn't see any elephants inside the park! And quite honestly, we were sick of impala. At this point, we've seen them everywhere, and have realized that they're not much more than glorified deer. We were pretty unhappy as we headed back to the park's entrance, and most of us were nodding off. All of a sudden, we came across an elephant. He crossed onto the other side of the road (our right), leaving his baby on our left. Elephants are very territorial, so he did not like this one bit! The elephant gave us several warning signs that we were informed of, such as stomping the ground, throwing dirt over his shoulders, growling at us, and ripping down tree branches. He began to charge us from the front of the vehicle. The driver knew exactly what to do, and he revved the engine, making the animal pause for a second. Then the elephant tried to get sneaky, and crept behind a tree and tore down more branches, before making his way straight towards the back of our truck. I was in the back row, so I was terrified and clung to the boy sitting next to me. The elephant got within a few feet of us! Luckily, our driver once again knew how to handle the situation, and he revved the engine again, expelling carbon dioxide which was enough to frighten the elephant and make him back off. Then the elephant made his way to the left side of his vehicle (smart creature, huh?), and our driver decided that was enough and we quickly drove away. Animals can be very dangerous, and apparently our driver has only experienced a similar situation 7 times in the 10 years he's been working at Chobe (keep in mind that he does several game drives A DAY, so that's pretty ridiculous!). He told our group leader that that was actually the closest he's ever come to having an animal attack without seriously injuring someone. So we got really lucky. (Sorry, Mom. I didn't want you to see this.) It was scary, but serves as a great story to tell. My heart was racing for over an hour after the incident.

Elephant x-ing!?

At the entrance to the park!

Buffalo-sighting!

Pretty impala. Our driver said their butts have the McDonalds sign.

Angry elephant. At this point, we weren't super scared yet.

Here is is from the back of the truck, starting to get way too close for comfort. This was the last picture I took before clinging to Marc, sitting next to me.

After this event, we went back to the campsite and packed everything up once again. This time, we travelled pretty far into Zambia in time for a late lunch. Right after lunch, we headed straight to Victoria Falls from the Zambian side. Victoria Falls are also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders).... There is a reason for this: It is the wet season, so the falls are currently at their greatest capacity. They are one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, and are one of the largest waterfalls in the world. They are not the highest nor the widest, but they are still considered the largest falls in the world because of the massive volume of water that falls from them. The water that falls from Vic Falls is far more than from any other falls in the world, and we got to see this at its peak. As soon as we got off the bus in the parking lot, we could feel the water from the falls' mist. We all entered the park not really knowing what to expect. To put it simply, we were in awe of the falls. I hate to say it, but they put Niagara Falls to shame. We got DRENCHED to say the least. It was like being in a water park made for adults, but way more fun than any water park I've ever been in. We crossed a bridge at one point in the park and the mist was so strong that we couldn't see in front of us! It was a blast. We walked from one end to the other, and got to see the bridge that serves as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe on one end of the park, and the lip at the very top of the falls at the other. From the Zambian side, you are truly AT the falls- right next to them! You really can't get much closer than we were. The mist was so strong that we could only see the falls for a few seconds at a time, when the fog would briefly separate. It was overwhelming in the best way possible.

Here are a few of us enjoying the downpour from the falls!

Here I am at the very top of the falls!

Day eight: I thought nothing could possibly top the previous day's events. But I was wrong. This day we were free to choose some optional activities at the falls. I decided to do a Lion Encounter in which I could walk with lions in a rehabilitation program for about an hour, a gorge swing (similar to a bungee jump), a microlight plane (similar to paragliding but motorized), and a sunset dinner cruise. On day 8, I woke up early to do the lion encounter. We were up close and personal with some large female lions. They are about 17 months old and about half the size they will be when they're full grown. The purpose of this rehab program is to reintroduce lions back into the wild because in the past 30 years, Africa's population of lions has decreased by 80-90%. In one stage of the rehab process, the lion "cubs" are walked daily. In another stage, they are released into an almost-natural environment in which they must show that they can hunt prey on their own. At another stage, they are released into the wild. This program facilitates the breeding of lion cubs with no human interaction from the lions who have made it through all the stages. These lions who have not had any human contact are the ones who are able to make it into the wild, so it is as natural a process as possible. It is a really great program, and was a ton of fun. We walked with two female lions who are sisters. They were more wild than I expected- we had to carry sticks and were told that if the lions gave "the naughty look", that we had to immediately back off and listen to the tour guides and yell a stern "No!" to the lions. I did not feel unsafe at any time, but it was nice to see that the lions were not fully domesticated by any means.

Here is a group shot with one of the lions.

Petting the lion!

A little yawn.

She's so cute!!

Later that day, I went to the gorge of the falls. This is where the falls were located thousands of years ago. While here, I did a gorge swing. This is much like a bungee jump, and there is debate on which of the two is scarier. I am afraid of heights, and I was terrified! But it was really fun. The guide had to nudge me off the ledge, because I panicked last minute. It was pretty funny. But I am so glad I did it!

Harnessed-in, pre gorge swing!

Here it is... scarier in real life.

Awesome action shot of our group leader, Mike.

Sunset at the gorge.

Day 9: I got to sleep in this day!! That is, until 7:00 am. This morning I did a microlight flight over the falls. It was a short and expensive ride, but well worth it. This is by far the coolest activity I chose. And it was so cool seeing the falls from above. You get a better view and get your bearings while seeing them from above. It showed me how large they are, and how there is a zig-zag pattern that you can't otherwise see. I bought a disc of a couple hundred pictures of both me and the falls. It also includes pictures from the different seasons, so you can see how dry the falls are in November, especially compared to now! After this, we decided to cross the bridge and border and head into Zimbabwe. The falls from the Zim side were more spectacular. You're a bit further from them, so you can see them more clearly and you don't get quite as drenched as from the Zambian side, though we were definitely still soaked! We walked from one end (Devil's Cataract) to the other (Danger Point). From Danger Point, we saw a DOUBLE rainbow and stood on rocks at the top of a cliff. It was beyond anything I can describe. Once we left the falls, we walked a bit further into Zimbabwe to an open market. At this market, you can trade goods for goods. I traded a couple pairs of socks, hair ties, bobby pins, and some US dollars, and got a beautiful tapestry, a bowl, a few bracelets, and awesome salad tongs. It shows you how desperate Zimbabweans are and how poor their economy is, because there are not many places in the world where you can actually trade goods for goods, in many cases without paying any money. I really enjoyed the market, and I could definitely have spent much more time there. We returned to our campsite in Zambia in time for a sunset cruise, with free food and beverages. It was a great way to celebrate the last night of a wonderful trip. By about 9:00 pm, we had ridden on a boat, drank our fill, eaten, and danced, and were all exhausted. Most of us were asleep by this time after a long, fantastically fun day.

Vic Falls from by microlight- #1 of the top 15 must-see sights according to a magazine! I definitely have to agree!

The bridge/border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The entrance to Vic Falls from the Zim side.

Part of the rainbow from Danger Point.

Feel the freedom- flying over the falls. Notice the rainbow below!

Group shot on our last morning together. We got some awesome t-shirts that we designed. I'm hanging out of the window in the top right corner.

The trip was amazing, as I'm sure you can tell. I made a lot of new friends and got closer with old friends. I did something very much out of my comfort zone, and really enjoyed it. Though I won't be camping any time soon, I hope! I've had enough ant infestations and bug bites and skin allergic reactions, so I'll take a nice break from camping, haha. I saw many beautiful sights in Africa, and I'm so lucky to have explored 3 countries in 10 days! I can now say that I've seen 10 sunrises and sunsets in 10 days- probably the most I'll see in such a short time in my entire lifetime. Needless to say, when I returned to my home away from home in Cape Town, I was relieved to have my bathroom back, but more importantly, my BED! It was a little tough going back to reality and back to classes, but it definitely felt good to be back at the same time. I am also now just over halfway finished my entire stay in SA! CRAZY! When I got back, my friend Elle from Trinity was here! So I got to see her. She's also studying in SA, but she is doing an intense Bio program through Duke (boo Duke!!) and living at different national parks, etc. It was really great to see her and catch up a bit! She'll return to Cape Town in May when her program ends, so I'll get to spend more time with her then. I also got to meet up with the mother of one of Mom's students from Goshen Friends School. Some people from the school were here building a house for a foster family with 6 HIV-positive kids. They did a really awesome thing, and it was great getting to meet Jamilla and hearing about her project. Seeing Elle and Jamilla was a really fun way to start my week post-vacation!

Elle, Leigh, and me after dinner!

For those of you who don't know, my mom and dad are coming!!! They get here in just over a week, on Monday the 18th! I am so incredibly excited that they're able to come, and I've been counting down the says for at least the past month! (Seriously, you can ask my friends. And my parents- who have received a countdown in my e-mails for a while now.) I just wish Chad could come, too, but he's too busy being employed these days, (Yay, Chadwick!) so I guess I can't complain too much about that.

That's all for now!! Thanks to anyone who actually bothered reading this long post. Wish my parents luck on their long plane ride!